Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - Season One (1 Viewer)

[Inspector Hammer!]

I think the point of the song was not to be funny but rather to show that NBS is embracing it's mistakes.

I understand where your coming from completely, Chris, it'll undermine the shows credibility if they show sketches that are lame when the characters on the show are convinced that they're funny.

 

[Citizen87645]

I do.

 

[SteveJKo]

Of course the sketches on the show within a show may be like Hitchcocks "mcguffen", a dramatic prop that we never really become familiar with, it's purpose simply being a catalyst for the rest of the show.

 

[NeilO]

We don't need to see the sketch. It has already aired in the Studio 60 world and the next episode will be moving on.

Neil

 

[Walter C]

The ratings have dropped off from last week. Hopefully, NBC has reasonable expectations, and won't expect it to overtake CSI: Miami (at least not right away).

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings.aspx?id=monday

 

[Scott-S]

I do not see this show's "Crazy Christian" story as anti-Christian at all. Sure, they are poking fun at the radical element, but they are showing that there is more than one type of Christian. The praying before the show shows that moderate Christianity is perfectly welcome.

The protestors in this story, are not meant to stand for all Christians. Just the ones that are radical.

I would like to add that I guess the creators of this show are doing a good job. It has only been on for 2 weeks, and look at how much discussion it is causing.

 

[Hugh Jackes]

Absolutely. It was hard not to hear. And I hear Drew Barrymore's lisp too. Neither is offensive, but both are noticeable.

 

[Jeremy_Watson]

I agree that we will not and probably should not see any sketches in the show, at least unless they relate to the cast itself. That is why showing the song made sense to me, it was about the show itself, not about political/social commedy/satire that these shows seem to do the most often. It would be very difficult, as mentioned above, to have to write a drama and sketch show at the same time, just so the sketches can be shown within the drama. I believe they will only be shown when directly related to the plot of the show, not the outside world.

 

[CherylJ]

You're right that Hollywood has a hard time portraying "Christians" (I put the word in quotes b/c it means different things to different people).

No matter how a Christian character is portrayed in TV/movies, there will inevitably be complaints (too stereotypical, too judgmental, not representative of "real Christians", etc.) So most TV shows stay away from portraying any depiction of religious people, because they're damned if they do, damned if they don't. As a result, the near-complete absence of religious characters leads to charges from the "Christian watchdog groups" that Hollywood is "godless."

So I give Sorkin credit for merely having a "Christian" character who is also shown as being intelligent, savvy, sophisticated, cultured, tolerant of others, and a very talented actress/comedian.

I know a lot of people like this in real life (well not the actress/comedian part), but this is exactly the kind of person that is almost nonexistent in TV/movies: the intelligent, sophisticated Christian who is tolerant of others and other views. And she is not-so-thinly based on Kristin Chenoweth, who gets criticized by "Christian" groups for not being a "real Christian" because of her tolerant attitude towards gays and others. Which is exactly part of the problem that Sorkin is trying to address. Why do these "Christian" groups purport to speak for all "Christians" when they very clearly do not.

 

[Derek Miner]

Ah, things come together... I am currently watching season 6 of The West Wing on DVD, so I have just "met" Chenoweth's character from that show. I wasn't aware of the actress before this. I looked her up and found she had dated Aaron Sorkin. It seems Sorkin is really drawing from his own experiences for Studio 60, what with the character based on Chenoweth and the drug addiction factor...

 

[Jonathon M]

and the main characters having a stalled film project about tesla, while schlamme and sorkin had the farnsworth film never eventuate.

 

[CherylJ]

He is sort of known for that -- basing his characters on real life people and his own experiences. I don't think he even denies that Harriet is based on Kristin Chenoweth. (Fwiw, He and Kristin supposedly had a falling out after she appeared on the 700 Club to promote her album of gospel songs.)

Josh Lyman from TWW is purportedly based on Rahm Emanuel. (Incidentally, Rahm Emanuel's brother Ari also has a TV character based on him: Ari Gold of Entourage).

Jordan from S60 (Amanda Peet) is based on Jamie Tarses, the former head of ABC who worked with Sorkin when he did Sports Night. They got along and are apparently still friendly, so he portrays Jordan in a favorable light. (Tarses is not quite that pretty or well-liked in RL and was reportedly pretty controversial while at ABC.)

 

[ScottH]

I understand and agree.

 

[TonyD]

what is meant by "RL"

 

[Dax P]

RL - Real Life.

 

[CherylJ]

Sorry! Yes, RL is real life. That thing we all do when we are away from our TVs and computers.

Btw, I recently read an article about S60 and Jamie Tarses was asked about how she felt about how the Jordan character was portrayed. She laughed and said that Jordan was nicer than any TV network executive she's ever met.

 

[Quentin]

It doesn't look like it will. Which is why I stated what I did. The Christian followers of "Rapture" magazine are going to be involved in the story. For how much longer, I don't know.

 

[Quentin]

Lets not forget that Danny has been caught doing coke. Sorkin's RL issue.

And, Jamie Tarses is DANG good looking. In fact, Matthew Perry dated her for some time.

 

[LarryDavenport]

Actually, Sorkin was caught with mushrooms.

 

[Patrick_S]

and rock cocaine and some mj.